good morning, my name is Lee Shing Man, but people called me “Uncle Man” everyday I will be in this Kowloon Walled City Park, and will I use Cantonese, Mandarin, and my Chinese-English to explain you about this park for anyone, thank you Walled City Park is the only Historical Garden Park in Hong Kong since this park had opened 9 year, it became one of top ten scenic spots also, this park was awarded a merit of German Garden Design Expo in 1993 this award is made proud and inspired of Chinese society many visitors from oversea praise this park is beautiful of course, the most often come here is the Japanese tourists also, I talked to some Japanese people who can speak in little Chinese I told them Japanese visitors are the most often come guess what do they said to me ? he is understanding, his friends also want to come this walled city park, to learn how their army treat “foreigners” in WW II the term “foreigner”, not only indicate to Chinese people, but also included people in South-east Asia where hurting them ordinary Japanese people do not know the facts about WW II, so they come here to study in fact, what you see this sculpture is also made by a group of Japanese research team Chinese manufacture the most outstanding is: Japanese who published a book about the walled city where earlier than Chinese does this sculpture is very extraordinary in additional, the drawing is also made by a Japanese painter which location? In this sculpture, the golden row with building called ” Longin Road “, a sectional view how can be done? because in 1992, all residents were compensated by the government and move out the Japanese research team were invited by the NGO back here again to perform final research you will ask me why this Chinese place had asked Japanese people to come? it’s because during the time with no government jurisdiction this place except the residents were willing to walk into, at that time there were no other outsiders would brave enough go into but because of the boast of Kowloon Walled City notorious, it attracted the people from Japan their characteristic is: the more mysterious place, the more they want to go so often there were different groups came in and research over time therefore, Japanese have sufficient information than anyone once the compensation and move-out were done, a final survey should be performed before the demolition why this city must be demolished? when these 350 buildings were tore down… there should be 350+ building, because the total area is 29,000 square meter including the center ancient building, it is the Yamen (Government office) you can see how density of this walled city I tell people that this drawing not only a nice drawing but also about the living, and the painter choose a tallest building to show us the construction is keep going what does this mean? not only this building had no piling, only supported by three-face-wall, but also showing this house is building higher what is three-face-wall construction? let’s look over the red brick on the ground what is this red tile ? the park’s designer found that is the place where located with two smallest building, the floor plan this marking is telling people what is three-face-wall the middle wall is common wall of two buildings so that residents could able to walk across between these buildings on the rooftop the painter also indicate this situation here what you see over there, a quad-wall of sunk with concrete base is where? it is the floor plan of this building the granite stone and the ditch are over 165 years old what is it? this is the old walled city’s south entrance and some buried wall base which not found by Japanese soldier in WW II this old ditch was used to be a sewage but now it is underground clear stream what about the “funny” concrete base are kept for people cherishing the memory of the pass history the central building is Yamen ( government office), these two buildings are the red brick that wall base, and concrete base is this building all three sites are on scale the native residents told me that there were only 3 lifts in 3 different buildings there is a English book wrote about this Walled City, is called “City of Darkness” the writer came to Hong Kong last year, he wants to write next chapter because many information haven’t published then I was introduced to him by a news reporter who knows I am an volunteer docent the purpose was to exchange information between us in fact he didn’t know there were 3 lifts instead of 2 because he didn’t have information about the last lift which three building had lifts ? the north-west direction, “Tung Tau Building” “Hop Yick Building”, the ground floor is a textile factory, so the lift was located on 3rd floor the last one and it was the newest one, “Hop Hing Building” that the writer doesn’t have this information whenever the residents who live next to one of these three buildings, they would intend to take the lift to the top and walk across the rooftop to their building and went back home however the residents lived in lower floors would not have this advantage inside here there were so many secret passway the drawing is already show there are many if someone knew someone each other who lived upstair or downstair, the normal stairway is somewhat far, and I want to share food with the neighbor friend so they decided to make a pass-hole and exchange food in fact this was a very harmony small community, also it was Autarky with factories, shops and all kinds etc.. how harmony? it’s because the secret pass it was real no-door-close, why? they believe there were no worthless furniture to be stolen there was no way a outsiders could carry a bulky thing away the kowloon walled city, besides, you couldn’t find way out they strong believe disappear items will be returned, because somebody borrowed it moreover, the biggest reason is that when you closed the door, your neighbor could not back home, if your neighbor closed the door, you too couldn’t back home water wasn’t supply to upper floor, if you and I live on same floor, and if I go out usually I will bring an empty bucket, and ask you if need water, then I will carry water back which community can do this? here ! how come this Yamen (government office) can be preserved that well you can see no government jurisdiction this place, Chinese Government, English Government and Hong Kong Government didn’t want to take control once the Chinese soldier were scared by English soldier, and escape away, if one of these government took over, there would not have this “no government jurisdiction” happen then the problem happen: people could easily moved in and occupied the land without any government’s permission of course rich people could re-build housing, the funny thing is that in early time, house was low, thereafter if next neighbor has higher building, they’ll built even higher and higher, there were no piling and three-face-wall of support at early time, residents needed material to support their life there were two church organization who could support the residents immediately one, Pastor Lau, the only Chinese pastor who established a medical clinic also established a youth center for more normal activities instead of other bad activities in neighborhood Pastor Lau passed away in 2014 next is Hong Kong Anglican Church, they used this Yamen to distribute material to people here, that’s why the preserved well inside the Yamen, what you see there are different color walls it was because the original houses were crushed by the demolition and can’t find the “black” bricks besides the bricks found at Yamen, there are many bricks in this park because it was brought from China, the size is shorter and thicker, whereas bricks in Yamen is longer and thinner this officer was a low-rank, not even had right to be a court judge this Yamen even was a deputy court-house what you see these two cannon even older than this Yamen it was built in 1802, over 200 years old where did they belong? it was in Sai Kung it was told that these two cannons had never opened fire why? the pirate passed Lei Yu Mun into Hong Kong instead of Sai Kung of course it would not open fire in here because the English army were in Hong Kong Island these couplet and stela with carved inscription are over 120 and 160 years old why is English on a Chinese building? do you see the left alignment? it isn’t a single word it is two words it spells Alms House it’s because the Chinese stonemason didn’t separate it do you know the different of these two little yard? the biggest yard is held for household activities, no need go outside, whereas the small yard is given rainwater and sewage to drain away the officer who stationed in this Yamen was a General Cheung, before he became a General Officer, he was a scholar he had a good hand of calligraphy, not only with a brush but he could use his fist and finger to strike the calligraphy also that one on the wall this house had collapsed and just rebuild with the specification this whole wall and roof were also collapsed during the demolition these two statue were not belong to this Yamen, the General was low-rank Officer shall not have these, so where did they come from? I had been followed two group of professors from Beijing in separate time, their conclusion are these two statue were belong somewhere in this Walled City this model is illustrate the date in 1902 when the Chinese Soldier fled away in 1898-1899, they were actually scare because the English opened fire to them only left with the tax collect, and given the right to Lok Sin Tong, after that it became a empty city now we are here in this building that is the school that is the south entrance including the concrete foundation, the stone and the ditch are leftover in this model, you can find no cannon on the north side of the city, why? it’s because there were a hill, no need from that side what hill is that? Not many know, do you know Lok Fu MTR is used to be what? people only know it is a slope where the landmark of this hill ? it is Hau Wong Temple, I always tell people to go there, right behind there is a stairway with no sign, but there is a stela with carved inscription of “a crane” this hill is called “white crane Hill” this “White Crane Hill” was located within Wang Tau Hom and “Tiger Rock” This Junction Road used to be a road for Officer, very narrow, and there was a side road called “Temple Road” the road designated for people go to the temple and worship I tell people go there and have a look, besides the word “a crane”, there was another word “a goose” it is sad because it was destroyed by Japanese Soldier and used for airport land reclamation also this “crane” almost to be destroyed too, but somehow the war had them left away, and it can be preserved let’s talk about the south entrance, it was the south entrance where used to be, but since the excavation then the park south entrance had moved away in order to have room for the historic site in fact, the North Entrance is also moved, it is because there is a crosswalk the park’s designer doesn’t want people cross the road right ahead whether go in or out the park so he moved the entrance 3 meter away There is a Western Entrance in this park, but why not being used? the park’s designer knew Chinese people are superstition of “die in west direction” when the park opened, there were two awards, one is the garden design, another is the recycling water inside of this western entrance, there is a water pump facility where water filtration and recycled back to the pond this map was surveyed by a native resident named Mr. Chan Cheung Chuen you see the pink color line is the secret passway the blue color is the well an English lady called Jackie Pullinger, in 1966 she came to this walled city in her 21 she disliked two things: too many drug addicts and too many prostitutes she established a center for drug addict recovery and a place for homeless prostitutes to make new life she told me that in high peak there were 36 drug dealers and their eye-watchers who kept watching and respond to light up the candles for those addicts around the clock so this is called “Brightness Road” Jackie Pullinger has her officeand church in Shatin and she dedicates all her life to the Walled City you can see that the street light has a cone shape cover, this was the hat of the old Chinese Army the short wall, stair, drain cover and lights are new the park designer also care about the children, so he made this small window for them to look into this concrete foundation is only about 50 year old, and over the old granite above, it is not an good idea for remove these foundation because of possible damage so let it kept, and the biggest reason is to proof for those who against to demolition these people against to build a park, now this is evident to shut their mouth up ! you see no piling and rely on three-face-wall why we have to look at here this direction? from the past, the King is located in North side, where people must face to him from south direction also south entrance is always being a main entrance of a park most important is that this way you can see a stone where can’t see from other sides this stone has a fillister for the door latch this is one of the pair, that no metal nail for Chinese tradition architecture this is the passway this ditch was sewage now is clear underground water on the left granite, not being discovered by Japanese soldier the first found by the engineer was that highest one once found and surveying right after and all are here today
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